Device fingerprinting refers to the process of collecting distinct parameters about a remote computing device over a communications network to form an identifier unique to the device. It is known that device fingerprinting may be used for fraud prevention, software licensing, and cybersecurity purposes. However, device fingerprinting has also gained widespread application by data analytics and advertising companies to uniquely identify and track the habits of individuals based on their computing devices. These practices raise serious privacy concerns.
For example, personally identifiable information (e.g., name, physical address, social security number) may be associated with a device fingerprint formed from parameters related to the active web browser and hardware configuration of a person's laptop. Subsequently the individual may be personally identified online based solely on the use of this laptop and web browser by a remote server with access to a database of these associations. During web-based communications, this may result in behavioral activities, such as websites viewed, hyperlinks clicked, and searches performed, being collected and stored without the person's knowledge or consent.
Methods known to the assignee of the present application and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,049,231, which is fully incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may be used to thwart the ability of third parties to form an accurate device fingerprint of a computing device. However, there remains a need for technology that alerts of device fingerprint attempts for privacy threat protection and awareness purposes.